Blog Tour Review & Giveaway for Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce



Synopsis:
“My mom had always told me – when you meet “the one”, you’ll know; they’ll captivate your heart the moment you lay eyes on them. I had always wondered, though, if my mom’s words of wisdom were finite – if they applied to everyone. Maybe those who had found their one great love were the lucky few, and maybe the rest of us would have to settle for less than earth-shattering.”

Seventeen-year-old Kat Walsh is a Gifted – a human with paranormal abilities. With her mom a former Angel and her dad a dream prophet, it’s always been in her genetic make-up to be extraordinary. But, unfortunately for her, the world can’t handle the strange or unusual. So when she slips up and uses her powers at her high school in Ireland, the entire student body treats her like a freak – even the ones she thought were her closest friends.

Broken, but hopeful for a fresh start, she allows her parents to enroll her in a boarding school buried deep within the forests of a small Colorado town. At Midland Pines, School for the Gifted, she feels as though she can finally be herself; she makes new friends and even has the attention of the most popular guy in school – Levi. Everything feels normal again… or does it?

Not long after her arrival, weird dreams of an alluring boy whom she’s never met surface during the night, and the eerie, shadowy trees encircling their school seem to call to her. As these disturbing, yet enticing developments intensify, other bizarre occurrences happen – students and staff turn up missing, and mystery visitors leave gifts while she sleeps. With all of these other things fighting for her attention, a desperate Levi has to fight even harder to keep her interest. But with the dreams of the attractive boy slowly captivating her heart, Kat has to make a choice – will she settle for ‘great’ Levi, or will she search for her elusive dream visitor, possibly stumbling across ‘amazing’?
From the author of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles, comes a refreshingly different Young Adult series with plenty of love, suspense, and a new take on the Paranormal.

Recommended for readers 16 and up due to mature content.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20484844-captivate-me?from_search=true

 RIGHT NOW YOU CAN PURCHASE CAPTIVATE ME FOR JUST $0.99!

Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce
Publication date: April 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult




        
My Review:
I really enjoy paranormal, Young Adult books, so when I read in the synopsis of Captivate Me, that the main character, Kat, goes to a boarding school for kids with special powers, I was super intrigued and knew that I just had to read it. 

This story had a slightly different take then I thought it would. Surprisingly the students at Kat's school are friendly and supportive. You do not see that very often in young adult books! I also loved the dynamic that Kat had with her family.  Although her parents were far away, you still got the sense that they were supportive and there for her.  There was an honesty and a trust between them, and I liked how Kat felt like she could talk to them. It was just really refreshing to see!

Sometimes I did get frustrated with Kat, and the love triangle hurt.  Honestly, I didn't know which guy to root for as they were both incredibly sweet!  I think my heart broke a little for the 'other' guy.   I was really surprised that there wasn't more tension in the end because of how things went about.  Also, I'm not sure how I feel about how the main love story came to be. It all seemed so quick and sudden.  Hopefully in the book(s) to come, he (who was chosen) and Kat will get to know each other more.

I really enjoyed the banter of Kat's guy friends! They really cracked me up. I think my favorite character in Captivate Me was Ronnie.  I loved his personality, confidence and his humor.  I always looked forward to when he was in the scenes, because you never knew what he was going to say or do.

I have to say, that the author surprised me at the end! Throughout the whole book, I had this thought that a certain character had a hand in the crime.  So I have to tip my hat to S.J. Pierce for pulling a fast one on me!  


                          

Author Bio:
Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy, Paranormal and Sci-fi novels.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook






Giveaway


Tour wide giveaway
Open to US and Canada:
--A ecopy of Captivate Me
--The complete Alyx Rayer series in ebook (three novels and novella)
--A necklace with a white flower (relates to book)





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Cover Reveal! LUX: BEGINNINGS (Obsidian & Onyx) by Jennifer L. Armentrout



Today we will be revealing the new cover for Lux: Beginnings, which will contain the two books,  Obsidian and Onyx, written by Jennifer L. Armentrout!
 


 
Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
 
Expected Publication: June 3, 2014
 
 

 
 
Obsidian
 
There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
 
 
Onyx
 
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19081403-beginnings
 
 
 
About the Author:
 
 
 
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
 
 
 
Giveaway
There will be a raffle for two fan inspired artwork from fans of the Lux series sent from the author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, herself!
  


 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: The Bofriend List by R.S. Novelle (Includes Excerpt, Q&A, and Giveaway)

 
 
The Boyfriend List by R.S. Novelle
Publication date: February 10th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
 
 
Synopsis:
The Boyfriend List follows twenty-year-old Reagan in her quest for the perfect relationship after a somewhat tragic spring break breakup leaves her disillusioned about love… again.

Reagan had always prided herself on making levelheaded, practical, analytical decisions about everything. Everything, that is, except where guys are concerned. Which was proven to her, once again, when her “boyfriend” opts to take another girl on their oh-so-romantic trip to his lake house. In order to prevent future heartbreak, she creates a checklist of all the qualities she wants in a man, and vows not to give her heart away again until she can determine if they fit every last criteria.

After scouring campus with her two best friends in her tricky journey, her detective work returns a pile of unworthy rejects, and it seems as though her choices are narrowed down to only two options: the hot stranger who’s inspired her new project, and her best guy friend Ian, who she’s always kept at bay due to his perceived playboy reputation.

Reagan gets more than she bargained for with her new set of rules, however, and is surprised to find that love, and the perfect boyfriend, may have been within reach the entire time. But will Ian’s reputation ruin his chances to prove his worth? And can Reagan let go of her insecurities long enough to even give him a chance?
The Boyfriend List is a light, New Adult romance about friendship, trust, and learning to let go in order to embrace what real love can offer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20639389-the-boyfriend-list?ac=1


Excerpt:

Maybe she needed to get some fresh air, she decided. Go for a walk,
clear her head. Anything to distract her focus from her thoughts and reset her
mind back on her paper.
Decision made. She shut down her computer, set aside her books and
wrapped her long hair into a somewhat sloppy bun on the top of her head.
Reagan had contemplated a light sweatshirt to ward off the last cold brisk of
winter that clung to the night air in stubborn resignation, then decided against it.
But before she’d even left her bedroom, she turned back and yanked it off her
bed after all. Apparently she was having a hard time making up her mind about
everything that night.
Zipping it halfway up her torso, just below her breasts, she crept quietly
out the front door and turned to lock it behind her. A quick breeze whipped its
way around the corner and down the corridor, and as a shiver worked its way up
her spine, she was thankful she’d listened to her intuition. Maybe she should do
that more often.
But just as Reagan turned to go down the stairs and head out on her walk,
she was met – nearly head on – by an unexpected sight. Ian stood before her,
mildly drunk but mostly sober, looking as surprised to see her as she was to
see him. It was clear he’d been out for a night of fun, though she’d seen him far
worse on more occasions than she could count on both hands. But it was also
just as clear that, once again, he’d come home alone. She couldn’t help the little
smirk of satisfaction that turned up at the corners of her mouth on that discovery,
though internally she chastised herself at the thought.
 “And just where do you think you’re going?” His voice danced over the
words with dramatic flair, an indicative side effect of his inebriated condition.
It took her a minute to find her voice. “I need a break.” She finally
explained, “This essay’s killing me and I want to clear my head.”
 “Nice jacket.” He flicked the toggle of her zipper, and Reagan felt it flutter
in her core. “Want some company?”
The flutter was moving faster at the suggestion. His eyes had grown dark,
almost as dark as the night sky, and she thought she saw something in them that
begged her to say yes. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she needed her sweatshirt
any longer, since the temperature seemed to have risen up all around her,
working a pink tint into her cheeks. She was glad it was so dark out, hopefully
he couldn’t tell this time. “Aren’t you just getting in though? You’re probably
tired...right?”
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes... she chanted in her
head. The truth was she very much would’ve loved his company, maybe a little
too much, but she wasn’t certain she trusted herself around him yet...alone...in
the middle of the night. There were too many possibilities, too many temptations
that her imagination could come up with. If she acted on any one of them, and
was wrong in her assumption, well the let down could be brutal at best.
“Tired? Me?” He shook his head and made a face at the suggestion. “The
party was just getting boring. Too many of the same people, not worth the time.”
Was he implying that she was worth his time then? Reagan certainly hoped so,
considering how long they’d been friends. But she couldn’t help wondering if
there was something more behind the words. “So what do you say? Can I walk
with you?” And as he tilted his head in that subtle way that only Ian could, a
dimple working it’s way into the corner of his cheek, she felt her breath rush out
of her lungs.
He’d put the ball back in her court again. Damn him! There’d be no getting
around it this time, she’d have to give him a definitive answer. And quickly.
Reagan knew she should say no. There was something inside, warning her that it
wasn’t a good idea. As though accepting his innocent invitation would somehow
change things. Alter their relationship and shift their energies toward one another
in a way that could never be put back again. But, when she really thought about
it, hadn’t they kind of done that already?
And yet everything inside of her wanted to scream yes, and keep the
momentum of what they’d started earlier in the day moving forward. It wanted
to let him take her hand in his, entwine her fingers around his, as though it was
the most natural thing in the world for them to be doing. All she could manage
though was a simple nod, stiffened by the breath she held tightly in her chest. It
was almost as though she was afraid to acknowledge what she wholeheartedly
wanted, even to herself, because doing so would only leave her open and
vulnerable to a future of regrets and failures.



Author Bio:
Renee’ Novelle is Preceded by a long line of published family members, including Pulitzer Prize nominated author and Poet Laureate of Kentucky Jesse Stuart.

As a child, Novelle was already gaining recognition for several of her works, and in her formative years, she continued this trend by earning local awards for her short stories and poems.

Inspired to cultivate her talent, Novelle pursued freelance journalism and has found placement of 75 of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her savvy, effective writing style to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. She writes psychological and paranormal thrillers, as well as contemporary fiction and new adult fiction. For a complete schedule of upcoming releases, please visit 
www.RSNovelle.com

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, Summa Cum Laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you're meant to be.
Q&A

Where are you from originally?

Originally I was born in the tiny little town of Ashland, Kentucky. But we moved
pretty quickly, and I grew up almost all of my life in Gainesville, Florida (Go
Gators!). Living in a city that kind of revolves around the college there, and
is comprised of mostly college students gave me some great material for my
upcoming New Adult stories.

Tell us your latest news?

I’m so, so excited to have just released my first New Adult romance! I had so
much fun writing this book, and I really hope that readers will be able to connect
with the characters. I had originally planned it as a single title, but I’ve received
so many requests asking for more of Reagan and Ian that I’ve decided to turn it
into a trilogy! I’m really excited to explore the next step in their journey together.

Where do you get your ideas?

It depends on what genre I’m writing in. Sometimes they come from real life
events and experiences. Other times they’re inspired by pieces of a news story
I’ve heard or something in the community. But lately my muse likes to drop them
into my head at 3am while I’m trying to sleep.

What is your writing process?

I generally tend to think of the title first (I work backwards like that), and then
form the general concept of the story around that. I sit on this for weeks, months,
even years in some instances until I feel like I know the story and characters well
enough to plot the whole thing out. After writing a detailed outline, I start the first
draft and edit as I go. Then I give it one or two more edits before passing it on to
my proof readers/beta readers. I tend to write quickly, so once I have an outline
and commit to writing a story, I usually have it done in 2-3 months.

Are any of your characters based on real-life friends or acquaintances?

I think I pull aspects of personalities from my real-life friends, but there
isn’t a character that is completely someone I know. I based a lot of Ian’s
characteristics, the way he loves and his attentiveness to those he cares about,
around the person I’m in love with. They’re very much alike in that regard. And
I’ve had friends like Petra in the past who are so outgoing and confident in every
situation.

Do you ever incorporate yourself into your characters?

Absolutely! I think as a writer it’s hard not to. You want the characters to be
relatable and feel real, so I’m constantly giving them my own insecurities and
strengths, and relying on my own experiences to portray a particular moment.
But even more than that, I often find that my characters are enjoying my favourite
type of coffee or tea, or that the color nail polish that I’m wearing as I write a
scene is the color they’re wearing as well.

Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself and if you did where did you get the inspiration?

I designed the overall concept and feel of the cover, but I worked very closely
with a professional graphic artist to bring it all together. I understand my
limitations, and I think it’s very beneficial to utilize professionals whenever
possible. And I enjoy the collaboration of working with someone else, bouncing
ideas off each other and watching the process of the image coming to life.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee!!! I live for caffeine. But a nice cup of tea helps me unwind after a long day
of writing.
What do you do outside of writing?
I also still write as a freelance journalist for magazines. But when I’m NOT
writing, I enjoy the beach, going to concerts or musicals, trying a new restaurant,
or exploring a new city. Since I spend so much time at my desk, I really enjoy
activities that will get me outside and active.

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes
-5 eBooks copies of The Boyfriend List (INT)
-One signed paperback of The Boyfriend List (US only)


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